Browsing by Author "Smith, Christopher M."

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An Analysis of the Functionality and Perception of Silence in Selected Unaccompanied Solo Repertoire for Horn
(2024-05) Chang, Yu-hsuan; Rogers, Lisa; Smith, Christopher M.; Martens, Peter A.; Decker, James T.
This project will explore the functions of musical silence in selected unaccompanied solo repertoire for horn by Otto Ketting (1935-2012) and Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006). Through a literature review, this research intends to provide a method of approaching silences in unaccompanied solo works by identifying the functions of notated silences and musical expectations. The outcomes of this research will offer suggestions on performance practices for the selected repertoire and create general guidelines for studying unaccompanied works targeting college- and advanced high school-level horn students.
An examination of selected double horn concerti from Baroque to Romantic
(2019-05) Smith, Lindsay Marie; Smith, Christopher M.; Rogers, Lisa; Decker, James T.
1. DMA Solo Recital 1 Composers: Henri Tomasi, Johan Sebastian Bach, Jordan Tucker, Eugene Bozza 2. DMA Solo Recital 2 Composers: Othmar Schoeck, Franz Strauss, Camille Saint-Säens, Vitaly Buyanovsky, Marcel Witsch, Daniel Baldwin 3. DMA Chamber Recital 3 Composers: Francesco Antonio Rosetti, Daniel Baldwin, Benjamin Britten 4. DMA Lecture Recital 4
An Examination of Technological Advancements and Innovations of Horn Mouthpieces in the United States from 1950 to 2015
(2021-05-05) Hsueh, ShuoJung; Smith, Christopher M.; Rogers, Lisa; Decker, James
Before the invention of numerical control, also known as Computer Numerical Control, or CNC, horn mouthpieces were handmade; this made every horn mouthpiece very unique due to the inconsistencies in the handmade process. Because of the CNC technology, the quality of horn mouthpieces became much more consistent. The horn mouthpiece is a vital part of the horn’s tone production and overall playing characteristics. It is an integral part of the “feel” and the comfort of playing for the performer. This document examines the horn mouthpiece manufactures’ technological advancements and innovations in the United States between 1950 and 2015. The famous horn mouthpiece named and made by a famous horn player in the United States was Philip Farkas, which is where I will start my research, as this is the time in which a distinct amount of advancements occurred. This document includes four chapters: Chapter one will introduce the purpose of this document, and explains the reason why I choose this topic. Chapter two discusses the horn mouthpiece’s anatomy- rim, inner rim diameter, cup, throat, bore and backbore, shank, plating, and materials. In this chapter, I will also give some theoretical advices for horn players. Chapter three provides various horn mouthpiece manufacturers in the United States and briefly introduce their history and their well-known horn mouthpieces. Chapter four is a conclusion of this document and enumerates some implications for future research.
An Examination of Vissarion Shebalin's Concertino for Horn. Op. 14, No. 2
(2018-05-15) Podrebarac, Sally E; Smith, Christopher M.; Rogers, Lisa; Decker, James T.
Vissarion Shebalin’s Horn Concertino No. 2 fulfills a void in horn concertino repertoire, as it is written in a formalist aesthetic. Due to the tight control of the Soviet regime during Shebalin’s time, many of his compositions have been overlooked. It is the goal of this document to highlight the importance of this composition and to inspire future performances. An examination of Shebalin’s life and the compositional climate in which he lived, as well as a performance practice analysis of Horn Concertino No. 2, will provide a foundation for an understanding of this composition.
DMA Recitals
(2016-05) Denis, Andrea; Smith, Christopher M.; Rogers, Lisa; Strieder, William
Recital 1: Ludwig van Beethoven: Sextet in Eb Major, Op. 81b Carl Reinecke: Trio for Piano, Oboe, and Horn, Op. 188 John Cheetham: Brass Menagerie Recital 2: Halsey Stevens: Sonata for Horn and Piano, mvt. 1 Enrique Granados Arr. by Kazimierz Machala: Orientale Spanish Dance No. 2 Ralph Hermann: Concerto for Horn, mvt 3 Arne Oldberg: Serenade, mvt 1 Jody Nagel: As You Like It Richard Cioffari: Festive Rondo Christoph Forster: Concerto for Horn Recital 3: Jonathan Craft: Dreams, Yearning Kerry Turner: Concerto for Low Horn in F Eric L. McIntyre: Plains of Wind and Water (for horn and fixed digital media)- Surveyors Island- Eagle Flies Away David M. Frost: Crown of Ashes Robert Xavier Rodriguez: Gambits- Six Chess Pieces Recital 4: Lecture Recital Kruspe vs. Geyer: A look into the changes of horn in Texas Symphonies
Edward B. Straight and his Natural System of Drumming
(2023-05) Frederick, John M.; Rogers, Lisa; Smith, Christopher M.; Decker, James
Edward B. Straight was an early twentieth-century percussion performer, composer, and pedagogue. He authored several method books and solos/etudes, performed with many concert bands, and taught many successful students. His method books served as resources for students when instructional materials were limited. Percussion method books usually feature a combination of exercises, etudes, solos, instructional content, and visual aids to develop students' skills and challenge them incrementally. Some method books follow a progressive format, with increasing difficulty as the books advance. In contrast, others focus on specific aspects of playing the instruments such as snare drum, timpani, xylophone, and marimba. Straight's method books contain several hundred exercises, including detailed explanations of musical phrasing, expression, and rhythm. Straight was also an early proponent in developing and propagating the “natural sticking” technique in percussion, which emphasizes utilizing the right hand of percussionists to simplify musical phrases and enhance sound quality. The author believes that Straight was an accomplished educator whose contributions laid the foundation for a more accessible way of playing the drums. This approach is valuable for contemporary percussionists to consider. This research document provides basic information regarding Straight's life and career, his approach to playing the drums, an overview of his method books and solos/etudes, and a brief overview of the research findings from his method books. The information provided from Straight’s method books and solos/etudes includes details such as the “Title,” “Publisher,” “Year,” “Number of Pages,” “Number of Exercises/Etudes,” “Rudiments,” “Measures,” “Difficulty,” and “Sequential Nature.” The author drew on primary and secondary sources for this document in order to offer an overview of Straight's contributions to percussion education.
Hesitation of initial articulations
(2016-05) Akers, Derek Wayne; Smith, Christopher M.; Rogers, Lisa; Stetson, Andrew
ABSTRACT: This document examines the hesitation of articulations in horn playing. The goals of this study are to: delve deeper into the hesitation phenomenon, understand its commonality, contribute to the generalized knowledge of the phenomenon, increase awareness, collect data as part of a survey attached to the project, and provide a few possible solutions for hornists who suffer from hesitations. Chapter one is an introduction that will provide an overview of the project. It will also include justifications and limitations for the study, and a review of related literature to the hesitation. Chapter two will include what the hesitation is with a description of the problem, what causes the hesitation to occur, who could possibly be at risk for the hesitation to develop into his or her playing, and some possible solutions to help aid in the process of liberation from the unwanted hesitation problem. Chapter three consists of a survey that was distributed to past and present horn professors, applied horn teachers, and professional hornists. It covers the procedures of how the survey was taken, its design, and includes all of the results from each survey question. Chapter four is a conclusion to the document and briefly lists a few implications for future research.
Implementing aural skills and theory into the private horn lesson: A discussion of common pedagogical tactics and integration into lesson plans
(2022-05) Shaheen, Michelle; Smith, Christopher M.; Wass, Kevin; Decker, James
This paper discusses the issue of college horn players’ difficulty to apply their theory and aural skills knowledge to their instrumental playing. This study will cover the skills needed by the horn player that they gain in these courses as well as an introspective look at the methods to teach these skills. Some of the issues found dealt with lack of research in the field of the correlation between the musicians’ aural skills and their horn playing as well as a lack of representation in theory and aural skills textbooks. This lack of information has led me to conduct my own research and combine it with my own teaching and playing experience to choose the best route for the student. After finding the best approaches, I have created flexible lesson plans along with teachers guides for the teacher to use in their private instruction. The goal of this project is to assist teachers by helping them forge strong theory and aural skills in their students which will likely help their performance accuracy as well as allowing them to play with informed musicality. DMA Project 1 Solo Recital: Composer: Gordon Jacob Composition: Concerto for Horn and Strings Composer: Franz Strauss Composition: Empfindungen am Meere (Romanze), Op. 12 Composer: Astor Piazzolla Composition: Libertango Arranger: Chihiro Todoroki DMA Project 2 Solo Recital: Composer: Robert Schumann Composition: Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70 for Horn and Piano Composer: Vincent Persichetti Composition: Parable for Horn, Op. 120 Composer: Alexander Goedicke Composition: Horn Concerto, Op. 40 DMA Project 3 Chamber Recital: Composer: August Klughardt Composition: Wind Quintet, Op. 79 Composer: Gabriel Musella Composition: Rio Grande Octets, mvt. II. Harlingen: Ronnie's Mambo Composer: Victor Ewald Composition: Quintet no. 2, Op. 6 DMA Project 4 Presentation of Project Paper
An Introduction to Jouni Kaipainen's Concerto for Horn, Op. 61
(2023-05) Garcia, Esteban L.; Smith, Christopher M.; Decker, James T.; Wass, Kevin
Jouni Kaipainen’s Concerto for Horn and Orchestra, Op. 61 is an obscure, yet substantial piece of contemporary solo horn repertoire that creatively pushes the envelope of horn technique. It demonstrates characteristics of modernism that are presented within a neoclassical structure. The challenges presented to the soloist are some of the most demanding in the repertoire and require mastery of less common extended techniques. This document begins with an overview of Kaipainen’s life and career, particularly regarding his musical influences. Next, is an introduction that presents the features of modernism and neoclassicism in this concerto, followed by an introduction to the thematic material and a discussion of extended techniques. This will provide a foundation for understanding and preparing this concerto. This document intends to bring awareness to this piece and its many learning opportunities as well as encourage future performances.
Kruspe versus Geyer: An examination of horns used in several Texas symphony orchestras
(2016-05) Denis, Andrea; Smith, Christopher M.; Rogers, Lisa; Strieder, William
After the creation of the double horn in 1897, many horn makers experimented with multiple styles of horn. Two horns arose out of these experimentations, the Kruspe and the Geyer wrap horns. Many of the horns that have been invented since then, have all been based on the styles of the Kruspe and Geyer horns. This document will focus on the differences between Kruspe and Geyer horns in terms of the makers, the history, the mechanical aspects, and the sound. Brief information about the Knopf horn, a rival of the Geyer horn, will also be discussed. The next section will highlight five of the major symphony orchestras of Texas: Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin, and their brief history and respective horn sections. Analysis of the influential horn players in each section, shows how the horns in the section transformed over the years, mostly from Kruspe styles to Geyer. The appendix consists of multiple tables showing the horn players in several Texas symphonies and the years they performed, as well as their position.
Pairing orchestral excerpts and etudes: A new approach to tuba audition preparation
(2022-05) Shaffer, Seth; Wass, Kevin; Decker, James T.; Smith, Christopher M.
This study analyzes the musical challenges presented in the top twenty most commonly appearing orchestral works on 92 professional auditions in the United States from 1979 to 2022. All of the orchestral works from all 92 auditions were put into a table, then sorted by highest rate of frequency on audition lists. For the twenty works that appeared most commonly, the cut-off percentage was greater than 25%. After this analysis, etudes from the top six etude books used at 21 of the 74 Power Five universities and conservatories in the United States, as well as Ben McMillan’s 15 Orchestral Etudes for Contrabass Tuba, are paired with each work. All of the etude books listed on either undergraduate audition requirements or studio syllabi were put into a table, then sorted by frequency for this process as well. For the etude books, the cut-off percentage was greater than 23%. The pairing of orchestral works with etudes was based on the similarity of technical and musical challenges in both the orchestral work and the etude. Some orchestral works had several options, while others did not have any appropriate options. The etudes listed for each orchestral work in this study are not comprehensive, but merely intended as supplemental material to assist in preparation of the orchestral work. The study found that pairing orchestral works with etudes is a valuable resource in addressing the musical and technical demands of the orchestral repertoire. However, a deficiency exists in the supplemental material for bass tuba, which is nearly non-existent. There is a clear need for materials that can help the aspiring professional musician address the musical and technical demands of orchestral bass tuba repertoire.
Zach Houston's MM Percussion Recital 1
(2014-04) Houston, Zach; Shinn, Alan D.; Rogers, Lisa; Smith, Christopher M.; Stetson, Andrew; Kennedy, David; McDonald, James; Willis, Lee; Wingerson, David
1. Toshi Ichiyanagi; Gary Gibson; Marc Mellits; Mark Lowry; Rande Sanderbeck; 2. Bob Becker; Eric Ewazen; Ruud Weiner; Bill Molenhof; Bill Evans; Paul Desmond; Duke Jordan; John Lewis; Dizzy Gillespie